Decision details

Noted that whilst the Council, its partners and developers have invested in supporting the physical and socio-economic conditions of the borough, there are still areas identified in the report that need further intervention, and the Council to act as a catalyst for on-going regeneration. The report details the rationale for the seven areas of focus for the 10-year Regeneration Plan in the context of the Council’s approach to Place Leadership for the borough.

Noted that £725,000 of funding has been identified from approved budget sources for the procurement and commissioning of area-based regeneration studies and community engagement programme for four priority regeneration areas, and Homes England has indicated it will provide £100,000 by way of grant funding for Charlton Riverside.

Approved that the Council prepares a 10-year regeneration plan covering the period from 2024 to 2034 which focuses on the following areas of the Borough:

•        Woolwich Town Centre and surrounding areas, including its links into Woolwich Dockyard and Woolwich Common;

•        Plumstead Town Centre and surrounding areas, including the Strategic Industrial Land;

•        Abbey Wood;

•        Thamesmead;

•        Kidbrooke Village;

•        North Greenwich and its links into Charlton Riverside; and,

•        To pursue other areas of the borough as and when opportunities arise for collaboration and partnership

Approved that the Council prepares a Place Vision and Delivery Plan that will set out the Council’s role in realising the comprehensive regeneration of Charlton Riverside Opportunity Area as outlined in the London Plan 2021

Approved that the Council produces Urban Regeneration Frameworks (URF’s) which will include a Place Vision, identify possible physical interventions, detail potential development sites, and indicate complementary workstreams (e.g. public health, education, cultural, sport etc.) to maximise the impact of public services to improve places, including engagement with Councillors, stakeholders and communities will be developed. It will detail what the Council wants to achieve and deliver for each of the three areas and detail the direction of travel for the next 10 years, informed in part by local residents, businesses and other landowners and investors. Subject to agreement by Cabinet in the future years on the proposed recommendations and interventions promoted by each area URF, a business case will need to be developed to release capital for investment in these areas, especially where the Council has an interest (land, property or future assets).

Approved the use of the funding of up to £825,000 identified in paragraph 1.1.2 of the report for the Council to prepare the 10-year regeneration plan and support the activities referred to in paragraph 1.2.1 to 1.2.3 of the report.

Delegated to the Director of Regeneration, Enterprise and Skills the authority to:

•        Identify and source the availability of external grant funding to enable the Charlton Riverside regeneration programme from commercial partners and developers to government agencies, and make the appropriate arrangements to agree and enter into the terms and conditions of such funding (including Heads of Terms and Memorandums of Understanding).

•        Procure and appoint specialist advisors to support the production of the Delivery Plan and URF’s, including specific support for community engagement, communications and marketing. Cabinet agrees that once URF’s have been prepared that they come back to Cabinet for approval.

•        Enter into such other Heads of Terms, Memorandums of Understanding and/or funding agreements with partners, commercial partners and developers that bring about the delivery of the URF’s.

•        Identify appropriate sites for development/regeneration and where information is of sufficient detail, to participate in the ‘Call for Sites’ during the new Local Plan process.